Combined can closure and ash tray



June 8,1926. 1,588,043.

I A. C. MOWER COMBINED CAN CLOSURE AND ASH TRAY Filed Jan. 14. 1922 I I 4 M v 4 /7 2/ INVENTOR 7 E j ATTORNEYS Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

ARTHUR C. MOWER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY, OF -NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COMBTNED CAN CLOSURE AND IASH TRAY.

Application filed January 14, 1922. Serial No. 529,161.

This invention relates to a combined can closure and ashtray and more particularly to a cigarette can closure, ash tray and cigarette holder; and has special reference to the 5 provision of such a' closure which may be efficiently and conveniently used as an ash tray when either attached to or detached from the can body.

One of the present methods of packaging and marketing cigarettes in quantity or bulk consists in packing aquantity of, say to 100, cigarettes in cylindrical tins or cans, these cans being constructed and adapted to store or keep the cigarettes in proper condition during sale and use thereof. These cans, While very eflicient for packaging and storing purposes, serve, however, no further useful purpose to the smoker, the cans after consumption of all the cigarettes therein being usually discarded and thrown away as waste. These tins or cans in addition to their storing capacity may, however, be made to serve a highly useful purpose to the smoker during the consuming period of the cigarettes and may be constructed to provide a smokers appliance utilizable at all times and after the cigarettes packaged in the can have been consumed; and my present invention has for its prime object the provision of an improved can and more particularly an improved can closure in which such ends ma be attained and, more specifically, in which the can closure may be conveniently used as a ready ash tray and cigarette holder whenever desired. 7

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other as hereinafter particularly described and sought to be defined in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my invention and in which: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved can showing the combined can closure and ash tray,

Figure 2 is an elevational view thereof with part shown in cross section on the line 22, Figure 1, and

Fi e 3 is a cross sectional view of the I can 0 osur'e taken on the line 3+3, Figure 1.

Referrin to the drawings, the cigarettes C are pac ed in quantity or bulk in the I the latt length of the le cylindrical tin or can 10, the said can comprising the-can body 11 and the closure element 12 therefor. The can body 11 comprises preferably straight, cylindrical, side walls terminating at the upper edge in the marginal outwardly turned head 13 and the closure 12 comprises preferably a dished cover of the inset frictional type provided with th bottom 14 and the side wall 15,

adapted to frictionally fit interiorly the can body side walls 11, the cover side wall 15 terminating at its upper edge in the marginal outwardly turned bead 16 overlying the body bead'13. By providing the dished closure of the inset frictional type, it will be apparent that a spacious ash receiving receptacle is produced.

As heretofore mentioned, a prime desideratum of'my present invention comprehends the modification of the can and the can closure so as to condition and adapt the same for use as an ash tray and cigarette holder. To this end the closure element 12 is provided with means for holding onsupport-ing one or more cigarettes, the dished closure defining an ash tray. To accomplish this I rovide the cigarette holdingmeans 17 pre erably in the form of a channeled member of inverted U cross section, the said member having the leg portions 18 and 19 and the channeled transverse portion 20, the said leg portions 18 and 19 being provided with the toe portions 21 and 22, the said toe portions being of a length less than the portions 18 and 1,9, as clearly shown in Figure 3 ofthe drawings, thechanneled transverse portion 20 comprising .the means for receiving and supporting a cigarette, this clearly being shown in F1 ures 1 and 3 of the, drawings. The heig t of the cigarette holder is made substantially equal to the depth of the dished cover, so that the top of the former lies substantially flush with the marginal head 16, and the marginal head 16 is preferably cut away as at 23 to permit the cigarette to freely lie in horizontal position on the channelled ciga rette holder 17 With this construction it will be apparent that during the use of the can and the periodic consumption of the cigarettes the can itself may be used by the smoker as a convenient ash tray and cigarette holder. I I v For the purpose of providing a construction in which the combined can closure and ash tray may be conveniently used when detached from the can body as well as when 1 attached thereto, I preferably provide the can closure with a plurality of spaced legs or supporting elements 24, these legs being preferably formed integrally with the can closure 12 and being preferably struck from the bottom 14 of the closure, as will be apparent from the drawings. With this construction the closure may be conveniently employed as an ashtray when dissociated from the can body, the ash tray remaining as a useful smokers appliance after the supply of cigarettes have been exhausted and the can body discarded, such use being shown, for example, in Figure 3-of the drawmgs. I Y

The manner of making and using my combined can closure and ash tray will, in the main, be apparent from the above detailed description thereof. The closure 12 is stamped or drawn from a single sheet of metal, the spaced legs 24 being stampedfrom the bottom 14 of the closure. The cigarette holding means 17 is formed from a separate piece of metal and fashioned into channeled inverted U form with the leg portions 18 and 19 and the toe portions 21 and 22. The toe portions 21 and 22 are then inserted in slits 25 and 26 in the cover bottom 14, the said slits being ofa length substantially equal to the length of the said toe portlons but less thanthe length of the leg portions 18 and 19, the shoulder parts between the leg and toe portions coacting with the bottom 14: of the closure to limit the inward movement of the cigarette holder 17. After the toe portions are inserted in the slits the said toe portions are turned in'opposite directions to assume the form shown in the drawings.

It willbe apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a novel cigarette can and can closure therefor in which the can closure may efficiently serve the purpose of an ash tray and cigarette holderwhen both attached and detached from the. can body,

.the combined closure and ash tray providing a useful smokers appliance at all times. It will be further apparent that the closure and ash tray may be manufactured with few operating steps and involving a low cost of production, theclosure and ash tray provided being serviceable not only, but highly attractive in appearance.

While I have shown my device in the preferred form, it will be obvious that many changes and modifications may be made in of and lying wholly within the plane of said flange, the upper face of said member providing a longitudinal groove and said flange having a recess in'its edge corresponding 1n contour to that of said groove.

. Signed at New York city, New York and State of New York, this 6th day of January, A. D. 1922.

ARTHUR o. MOWER,

in the county of 

